Apple iPad Mini Event: Official Spec Breakdown

Rumours have been put to bed. Apple has finally announced the iPad Mini (among other things). If you missed it, you can check it out in its entirety here. Now kids, it’s time to start jumping up and down like idiots, shrieking like banshees and wringing your hands. Fanboys do so because everything Apple does is AWE-some. Haters because nothing Apple does lives up to the hype.

Anyone not thusly engaged, let’s have a look at what Apple had to show us.

It was an all hardware show (with the exception of a new iBooks and iBooks Author blurb—both free and available today). The presentation was broken into two areas, the new Macs and new iPads.

While presenting the iMac Phil Schiller talked about a new feature called Fusion Drive. It’s not entirely clear how this works, but it is a build to order spec, which has an SSD and an HDD which are both “fused” together where the operating system (OS) is concerned. Over time the OS learns what you use most and will move those things to the SSD for better performance.

The New iPads

iPad with retina display

4th Gen

A6X processor

Facetime HD camera

expanded LTE

802.11n (2.4 + 5GHz)

Lightning connector

16GB WiFi starts at $499

16GB WiFi+Celluar $629

This was the most surprising announcement. All the leaks pointed to the iPad mini, but nothing about a new iPad. Anyone who bought the 3rd gen iPad recently, that is just outside the return date, are pretty angry right now.

There you have it. In the past couple months Apple has updated their entire line of products, with the exception of the Mac Pros. What’s up with that? Is this a sign that Apple’s putting the screws in the coffin? Likewise, what’s up with iTunes 11? There’s not much time left in October, and Tim did say it would be available in October. It seemed like a signifiant update, worthy of a mention at such an event. Seems curious it was not even said under Tim’s breath. Is it getting pushed back? Hmmmmm.

Regardless of whether or not the upgrades have been revolutionary, it’s been an exciting time with all the changes coming out of Apple. Now it’s your turn to have your say. How does the new line up stack up for you? Have you rushed out to purchase any of the new hardware/software? How has it been working for you? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Aeryk is a delicate fondue of Viking and Cajun stock, with all the subtly, grace and refinement of a moonshine high colonic. He wiles away the late, late, late hours in orgies of sex and violence with the likes of "Sex With the Headless Corpse of the Virgin Astronaut". His iTunes library is named Bad Mother F****r despite the fact it has The Bangles Greatest Hits. At night his dreams are of being a paid para-professional, part-time writer.